Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods is recalling approximately 22,880 pounds of baked spaghetti and chicken cobbler products due to the potential presence of aluminum slivers from baking pans used to prepare the meals. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service announced the recall on July 31, 2026, after the Richmond, Virginia-based company discovered a small sliver of aluminum in a baking pan during a routine review, with a similar metal fragment later identified in a Chicken Cobbler product.
The affected products were produced from July 1 through July 29, 2026, and carry best-by dates ranging from July 6 through August 5. Six products are included in the recall: Baked Spaghetti (14.8 oz and 62.4 oz bulk sizes), Chicken Cobbler (11.6 oz and 48 oz bulk sizes), and Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce (13.8 oz and 4 lb kit sizes). Items were distributed to retail locations including Food Lion, Harris Teeter, Kroger, Libbie Market, Publix, Wegmans, and other retailers across Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Department of Defense facilities, and online sales.
The recall was triggered after the company received a consumer complaint regarding a metal piece found in a fully cooked product. According to the FDA announcement, Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods notified the baking pan supplier, which has begun removing potentially affected pan lots from distribution. No injuries or illnesses have been reported in connection with the recall.
Consumers who have purchased the recalled products are advised not to consume them and should return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. The company’s customer service line is available at 804-340-3050, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.
Foreign object contamination in food manufacturing has become an increasingly common concern. According to reporting on food safety issues, metal scraps, rubber pieces, and other foreign materials have turned up in various prepared foods in recent months, prompting multiple recalls across the industry. Manufacturing errors are typically blamed for these incidents, which range from metal fragments in ice cream and ground beef to other contaminants in frozen meals and prepared foods. The FDA and USDA classify such recalls based on the potential health risk, with metal contamination generally treated as a serious food safety matter requiring swift removal from shelves and consumer notification.
Ukrop’s Homestyle Foods, which began operations in 2010 after the sale of Ukrop’s Super Markets, operates manufacturing facilities and a distribution center in the Mid-Atlantic region. The company supplies prepared foods and baked goods to hundreds of supermarkets and retail locations across the region. The company employs more than 500 people and states that it donates 10 percent of its pre-tax profits to community causes. For questions about the recall, consumers can contact the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at 888-674-6854 or email report the issue online through the USDA’s Electronic Consumer Complaint Monitoring System.
Sources
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — official recall announcement with product details, production dates, best-by dates, and retail distribution information
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) — official recall notice confirming the 22,880-pound quantity, aluminum sliver contamination, and state distribution
- The Washington Post — reporting on the prevalence of foreign object contamination in food manufacturing and common causes of such recalls
